Improvement in machines for racking hoops



s. PARKER. i MACHINE 'FOR RACKUING HOOPS.

Patented Ja .n.16,1`87'7.

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N PETERS, PHOTO-LITHUGRAFH ASHING N D C UNITED STATES PATENT CEEncEc STILLMAN PARKER, ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF,

JOSEPH DYsAET, JAMES c. DYSAET, AND e; LEWIS MYERS, 0E SAME PLAGE.

` IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR RACKING HOOPS.

`Specification forming part `of Letters Patent No. 186,365, datedJauuary 16,1877 application filed August 7, 1876.

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, SrILLMAN PARKER, of Altoona, in the county of Blair and State of Pennsylvania, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Machines for Racking` Hoops; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, in which- A Figure l isa side elevationot a machine embodying my invention. Fig.V 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section on the linear x. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line y y, and Fig. 5 is atransverse vertical section on the linezz.

Like letters refer to like parts wherever they occur.

My invention relates to machinery for rackingthe timber employed in the manufacture l of hoops; land consists, first, in combining,

with the pressure or racking rolls, an adjustable guide bed or bar, so that the mechanism struction hereinafter specified.

I will now proceed to describe my invention so that others skilled in the art to which it appertains may apply the same.

In the drawing, Aindicates a suitable frame or bed, to which are secured vertical castings or housings'yB, of such shape as will support and accommodate the operative mechanism. In the bed or frame A is journaled the powershaft a, provided with a fly-wheel', a1, and bevel-pinion a2, for communicating power. To the forward part of castings B are secured arms or brackets b, in the outer ends of which are journaled the upper ends of driving-shafts c, and 4between the brackets b and main casting B are pivoted jaws d, which carry the adjustable bearing-blocks d ofthe feed-rollers` e. In order to allow or" the lateralyielding of the feed-rolls, Ia set ot' rubber or equivalent springs, c1, which bear on the jaws d, are secured 'in the brackets b, and controlled by setscrews c2. c e indicate corrugated feed-rollers provided `with the adjustable and yielding bearings above described, and driven from shaft c through pinions c1 c2, the latter pinion having itsteeth slightly spiral to accord with the lateral play permitted to the feed-rollers.

In rear of `the feed-rollers c, and projecting in the line of feed, are' the lateral dressingknives f, which are secured in slots ot' housings B, and adjusted by` means of set-screws f. These knives serve to dress the face of the timber and determine the width of the hoops subsequently formed thereon. Above the feed-rolls and also impinging on the line offeed, is a third knife, g, supported-between the housings B, and arranged at right angles to the dressing-knivesf. Said knife may be termed an equalizng-'knite, as its function is to remove any uneven or unequal surfaces that might otherwise clog or obstructtheiaction of the machines.

The knife g may be provided with a setscrew for purposes of adjustment, if desired. In rear of the upper racking-roll is a second equalizing-knife, g', which wills'erve to remove any inequalities which may remain after the billet has passed the tlrst knife.

h is a bar or feed-bed, arranged between the castings B and provided with guides or lugs, which move in slots b4 of the casting, to preserve the `position ot the bar, and at the same time permit of its vertical adjustment. This adjustable feed-bed extends forward between the feed-rolls c, and is cut away, as at h', so thatit shall not impede the adjustment of the feed-rolls. The forward end of the bar or bed may be provided with an anti-friction roller. In order to adjust the feed-bed or bar at pleasure a movable incline, t, is inserted beneath said bar, and controlled by a threaded rod, i'.

Directly over the vertically-adjustable bed or bar h, and journaled in frame B, is the first racking-roll la, which is driven from the powershaft @through intermediate shafts Z, bevelgear Z1 l2, and pinion Z3, and in rear ot' the bar or bed h is the second bending or' racking roll k', which may also be termed the delivery-roll. rlIlhis latter roll is journaled in an adjustable bearing-block, m, arranged in vslots of the housing or casting B, said bearing-block being raised or lowered by means of the movable wedge or incline a operated by a screw, n', secured to the bed-block o. The object of placing this bending or racking roll in ad-l justable bearings is that the roll may be adjnsted so as to give a greater or less curve to the timber passing through the machine, ac. cording as the wood is more orless brash. In order to adjust the roll 7c equally with the bed or bar h so as to accommodate different-sized pieces of timber without changing the bend, (the roll 7c' having been set, as before specified, to give the proper curve,) I form an incline, o', upon the under-side bedblock o, so that the incline i operates both the bar h and the roll ksimultaneously and equally. The roll lc receives its power from the same source as roll k, through the additional banging gearing r s. The shaft c of the feed-rollers e is driven from the power-shaft a through the pinions t u o.

The operation of my devices is as follows: The logs having been out into suitable lengths, quartered and split `into sections equal to multiples of the hoop to be produced, are checked or notched on theendin' the usual manner to determine the thickness of the hoops. The screw-rod 'i' is then turned to draw out or force in the incline li and raise or lower bar h until the opening between the feed-rolls corresponds to the size of the billet to be operated upon. The incline n is operated by its rod to raise or lower the roll k', to give the desired curve to the billet, and the lateral or dressing knives f adjusted. Power being applied Vto the machine, the billet is placed in the bite of the feed-rolls e, the end checks or notches being in a horizontal line, and is forced forward by the rolls until it engages with the lateral or dressing knives f, which dress the face of 4the billet which correspond to the edges of the nished hoop.` At the same time the upper forward knife will remove from the upper face of the billet any inequalities which might otherwise obstruct the machine. From the knives the billet passes beneath roll k and roll k', being compressed and bent thereby in such a manner as to rack-the' wood and separate it into layers or strips corresponding to hoops. Should any inequalities remain upon the upper face of the billet after it has passed the knife g and roll 7c they will be removed by the second equalizing-knife g', before the timber escapes from the machine. The hoop-strips thus produced are subsequently passed through a hoop-shaving machine of y any approved pattern, and in the usual manner.

The advantages ot' my invention are, first, that the billet is gaged and partially dressed before it reaches the racking-rolls, so that no obstruction to the operation of the rolls can occur; secondly, the machine can be regulated to operate upon billets of different widths without changing the bend or curve given to the wood thirdly, the curve given to the wood may be changed from time to time, as desired, to adapt it to the class or character of the wood used.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Ifetter Patent, 1s-

l. The combination f the racking-rolls and the adjustable feed bed or bar h, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a machine for racking hoop-billets, the combination ofthe adjustable feed-bed and independently adjustable lower racking roll with the upper racking-roll, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. rIhe combination of the lateral knives ff with theracking-rolls, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. The combination of the equalizing-knife g with the racking-rolls, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. In combination with the feed bed or bar h ot' a racking-machine, the movable incline 'l' for adjusting the same, substantially as and for the purpose specied.

6. In combination with the roll k of a racking-machine, the adjustable bearing and movable incline a, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. lIn a racking-machine, the combination of the adjustable bed h, the incline z', the roll c, with its adjustable bearing, and incline n, and the adjustable bed-blockv o, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

ln testimony whereof, I, the said STILLMAN PARKER, have hereunto set my hand.

j STILLMAN PARKER. Witnesses:

J AMES I. KAY, F. W. RITTER, Jr. 

